High-efficiency excavator debuts at IFPE

Mar 01, 2011

A high-efficiency excavator, one of four test beds being developed through a research program of the National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), will be among the highlights at the Center's booth at IFPE 2011, to be held March 22 to 26 in Las Vegas. The excavator, being developed at Purdue University, serves as a platform for demonstrating research advances throughout the CCEFP.

The stock load-sensing hydraulics on a 5-ton Bobcat 435 excavator were replaced with displacement-controlled hydraulics. The new system shows a 40% fuel savings, on average, in side-by-side testing with a standard machine of the same model. Its architecture enables advanced electronic function controls for advanced control strategies: For example, one power-management control-based working cycle is implemented on top of the displacement-control platform to minimize fuel consumption. The improved efficiency offered by displacement-controlled technology lowers working temperatures for the hydraulic fluid, which extends fluid life and reduces maintenance.

More information about this project will be available at the CCEFP booth and in presentations included in the 52nd National Conference on Fluid Power (NCFP) during sessions scheduled for March 24. Fluid power research in other areas sponsored by CCEFP will also be featured at the CCEFP booth and as part of the technical conference. The Center will also hold its fifth annual meeting in conjunction with IFPE. Industry supporters of CCEFP are invited to participate in the meeting scheduled for March 22 in an area immediately adjacent to the IFPE show floor. For more information, visit ifpe.com and ccefp.org.